So, you’re considering graduate school. Perhaps it’s because so many of your friends are going. Perhaps you read somewhere that people with advanced degrees earn 45% more than those holding only bachelor’s degrees–and 167% more than those who have neither*. Or, it could be that you don’t feel ready for the “real world”; there are no good jobs available, and you don’t want to start paying back your student loans just yet.

Graduate school will usually help your career, no matter what you study. Even a Master’s degree in something as esoteric as Russian Folk Art can give you an edge over an otherwise equally-qualified candidate who lacks an advanced degree–even when the job for which you’re applying is unrelated to your major.

Damaged Goods?

On the other hand, if you hold an MBA, law, or medical degree, your academic credentials could actually harm your resume, unless you’re applying for a position directly related to what you studied. Think about it. Would you consider hiring an MBA or law school grad for a junior creative position in an advertising agency? Or how about as a copyeditor, inside sales representative, or video game designer? Some advanced degrees pre qualify their bearers for positions beyond entry level, along well-defined career paths. It can be quite difficult for such an applicant to convince a recruiter that she won’t leave a particular job when an opportunity in her field of study arises.

Professional school graduates seeking employment unrelated to their degrees may appear to be indecisive or unreliable. Having squandered years of study pursuing the wrong careers–at considerably high personal and financial expense–they may appear to be unfocused, fickle, or of the “professional student” variety, chasing down one abortive vocational path after another. Before you consider graduate school, make sure that you’re doing so because you really want to, not because everyone else is going, or because your family or significant other wants you to.

It’s All in the Timing.

Just as where you go to school can be important (e.g., an Ivy-League or other reputable institution vs a non accredited or low-rated school), when you go to grad school can be crucial. It’s much easier to accept that a twenty-two-year-old could make an unwise academic decision than someone a decade or two older. Conversely, a person who returns to school in middle age to pursue a psychology degree–and upon graduation interviews for a counseling position–may come across as a wisened, decisive, and disciplined individual who had the fortitude to make a career change.

Making the Commitment

In any event, going to graduate school is a serious decision. You may lose up to eight years of opportunity in the job market, incur tens of thousands of dollars in debt, sacrifice your family and social life–and even compromise your health–particularly if you intend to continue working while you attend classes. Will it be worth it?

To find out, you’ll need to engage in some deep introspection. As you consider your future, motivations, and career preferences, try to come up with honest and thoughtful answers to the following questions:

• Do I know what I want to do with my life? How does this degree fit in with those plans?
• Is graduate school necessary? Are there alternate paths to where I want to go, such as seminars, books, certificate programs, technical or vocational school, internships, or paid training opportunities?
• Will my degree pay off, both personally and professionally? Will the added financial burden be worth mounting?
• Is there a chance that I won’t pursue a career directly related to this degree? If so, will having the degree still positively affect my resume, or could there be professional consequences?
• Do I really want to go to grad school, or am I driven by external factors, such as the expectations of friends, family, colleagues, or significant others? Am I simply feeling inferior because I don’t hold an advanced degree? Or am I just trying to avoid the feeling of “standing still”?

In the final analysis, the decision to attend graduate school is best made by you, for reasons specifically related to your personal and professional development. And just as you shouldn’t embark upon an advanced degree program for the wrong reasons, you shouldn’t cut your career possibilities short merely because you don’t feel up to the hard work of grad school or because you fear missing out on a quick paycheck. Not only can grad school open you to more fruitful career opportunities, but it can also expand your mind while fostering solid disciplinary skills, skills that potential employers may recognize–skills that can last you a lifetime.

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*Source for earnings data: US Census Bureau